Ex Novo Cover Photo

As cover photo for the launch of the second number of Ex Novo, we chosen the iconic Stari Most - Old Bridge of Mostar (Bosnia Herzegovina), which is particularly in line with the theme of 2017 issue "Who Owns the Past? Archaeological Heritage between Idealization and Destruction". Stari Most was the pinnacle of Ottoman engineering – so cutting edge and experimental, in fact, that her famous architect Mimar Hayruddin, who was under pain of death to complete the bridge, had arranged for his own funeral before the last stone was put in place. Sometimes a bridge is more than a series of stones over water. The bridge would be lit up in the evenings, and its reflection would echo gold over the placid surface of the river, symbolic of the duality of life and death in Islamic philosophy. It was 28m high, and symbolized the 28 tenets of Islam. A bridge evocative of philosophy and meaning, built in days of peace. In 1993, during the height of the war, Croat paramilitary forces struck down the bridge with a tank shell. After the war, an international team came together to try to rebuild Stari Most. Portuguese divers fished the river for original pieces that could be reused; and the international team tried to replicate the original techniques used 500 years ago. The new bridge was meant to be a symbol of reconciliation and international solidarity.(Text by mouxiao89,photo credits @ https://savethepeasants.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/mostar/)